Pipe union



jam. 9,1945. R. M. LILLY 2,366,798

PIPE UNION Filed Dec. 4, 1940 .9 R l 8 i 7 i a l 5 j INVEN OR,

. BY RwzreflM Z/Wy Patented Jan. 9, 1945 PIPE UNIION Russell M. Lilly, Kermit, Tex., assignor to The Guiberson Corporation, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Application December 4, 1940, Serial No. 368,527

2 Claims. (01; 285-122) The object of this invention is to provide a pipe union) which will'cause two sections of a pipe to be quickly attached or detached from each other or whichmay' be used to quickly attach or detach one pipe sectionto adrilling head, stripper, oil saver, or other piece of equipment. Another object of the invention is to provide a leak-proof connection which will withstand preat pressures.

In the oil well industry a pressure drilling head or other equipment is frequently attached to the top of the well casing. It is sometimes necessary to remove such an equipment as, for instance, when it is desired to run a drill bit into the well. Various types of unions have been heretofore provided with means to form a seal between the casing and the drilling head, which seal must be leak-proof. It usually remains on a part fixed to the upper end of the casing when the drillin head or other equipment is removed. If now the driller desire to lower a drill into the casing, he must exert extreme care not to damage the seal. One of the important objects of the invention is to provide seals and shielding means to shield the seals from being damaged when the drill bit is inserted. Of course, the invention is not limited to a connection between a pressure drilling head and the casing nor is the shield effective only to shield it against damage by a drill bit, but the object is to provide a shield for the sealing means which will protect it again all ordinary hazards.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the detailed specification and claims which follow.

Referring to the drawing in which the preferred form of my invention is shown by Way of illustration,

Fig, 1 is aside elevational view of a pressure drilling head having my improved union incorporated thereon, the union and a portion of the casing being shown in cross section,

Fig. 2ris an enlarged cross-sectional view of my improved union,

Fig. 3 is a reduced cross-sectional view of the part thereof which would remain on.the casing when the drilling head is removed with a drill bit being inserted and Fig. 4. is an enlarged perspective view partly in cross-section of the resilient seal employed.

On the upper end of the casing l is threaded a, lower hub 2 of a union, the lower hub 2 being connected to the casing by means of the threads 3. The lower hub 2 is provided with an outwardly extending flange 4, which flange has a lower surface 5 and the upper part thereof is composed of a laterally extending surface 8, a beveled surface I, and a horizontally extending surface 8.

The lower hub 2 is also provided'with a channel 9 immediately above the surface 6 and in this channel is inserted a, sealing-ring Hi. This sealing ringmay be made of any suitable resilient material such as rubber, neoprene, duprene, leather, or other suitable material; Above the channel 9 and at the upper end of the lower hub 2 i a shield H which overhangs the channel 9 and which is also provided with a. beveled surface I 2 which would serve as a means to guide the drill bit or other instrument or mechanism into the lower hub. The above described parts remain fixed on the well casing when the drilling head or other equipment-is removed therefrom.

I have shown by way of illustration a pressure drilling head l3 coupled to the casing, but it should be understood that this is illustrative only, for any other equipment might be connected to the casing. The pressure drilling head I3 supports an upper hub Id which may be integral therewith. This upper hub has a depending flange I5 provided with external screw threads and on the inner portion thereof it is provided with a beveled surface 23 which might coact with the beveled surface l2 when the drilling head is being inserted. The lower end of the upper hub is provided with a beveled surface l6 which coacts with the beveled surface I of the lower ub. These beveled surfaces 1 and I 6 are carefully ground so as to make a leak-proof ground joint or seal between the upper and lower hubs.

A draw collar or nut I1 is provided with a lower inwardly extending flange l8, the upper surface of which underlies the surface 5 of the lower hub and the draw collar is drawn upwardly by means of coacting threads IS on the upper hub and the draw collar. By rotating the draw collar to clamp the drilling head on the drill pipe, the flange l8 coacting with the surface 5 of the lower hub draws the surface l5 into tight engagement with the surface I and since these surfaces are ground, a leak-proof joint is formed.

The sealing ring H] is nested in the channel 9 and seated on the surface 6. It has an upwardly extending inner skirt 20 and an upwardly extending outer skirt 21 so that the cross-sectional shape of this sealing ring I0 is substantially U- shaped with the skirts 20 and 2| flaring slightly outwardly.

In oil well casing, high pressures are frequently encountered. This pressure would tend to escape around the upper end of the lower hub 2 but the sealing ring 10 would prevent such an escape, for

the hig er the pressure, the more tightly the skirts 20 and 2| would be pressed against the myself in thezappendedlclaims.

inner surface of the upper hub I4 and the outer surface of the channel 9. Furthermore, the beveled surfaces 1 and I6 constitute a leak-proof joint so that in fact I have two sealing devices to prevent the escape of pressure gas or fluid from the casing.

When the pressure drilling head is removed and a drill bitizflsiinserted, :as shownrin Fig.3, it will be noted -:that as thedrill bit is lowered'into'the l lower hub 2, no damage would be occasioned to the sealing means even if the drill bit should strike the upper end of the lower hub for I have provided the shield l I to shield thesealing means.

In all revious mechanisms of'thistkind known'to able member comprising, \a hub secured .to the fixed .member .and having an upstanding shield ,on the upper end thereof, \a. ground surface on LIZ) said hub outside of and below said shield, a ground surface on said removable member adapted to contact the ground surface on the hub, said shield serving as a means to protect the ground surface on the hub from scarring by an instrument being inserted in the hub, and a drawing means to draw the ground surface on the hub and the ground surface on the removable member together.

2. A union for connecting -a fixed and a removable member comprising, a hub secured to the 'rflxed member and having a shield projecting upwardly therefrom, a sealing ring positioned within a channel in said hub, said sealing ring acting .as 'a seal between the hub and the removable member, a ground surface on said hub outside of and "below said 's'hield, a ground surface on said .vremovablermemberradapted to contact the ground surface on the hub, said shield overlying the channel in which the sealing ring is positioned, and serving. asameans tolprotectrtherground cur- ..'i-ace =on against .in'iury vfrom :an instrument being inserted in the hub. and a drawing means to \draw the .ground surface \on the hub .andthe groundsuriaceion the removablemember into sealing engagement with each other.

RUSSELL :M. ILILL Y. 

